The U.S. is a country of 50 states covering a large belt of North America, with Alaska in the northwest and Hawaii extending its presence to the Pacific Ocean. The major Atlantic coastal cities are New York, the global financial and cultural center and the capital of Washington, DC. Midwestern Chicago is known for its interesting architecture and on the west coast the Los Angeles (Hollywood) known for film industry. The USA has 327 million inhabitants (2018) and covers an area of 9 826 675 km². Thanks to its history of mass immigration, it is a "melting pot" of cultures from around the world. There are many popular tourist destinations in the USA.